Just an idea

[Andy]

What about a new law?
Especially during times of armed conflict if a group wants to protest they must get a permit. They must also post a bond to the city or town where the protest will take place. The bond would pay for any police or other emergency services necessary for crowd control. Arrests made during the protest would result in large fines to aid in paying for public safety.
It would be a lot like paying for a drivers license. It would be sort of a user?s fee.
?Spontaneous? protests - riots would be dealt with in the same way. Fines would go to the local public safety budgets. Individuals arrest who do not work would be made to perform public works, picking up trash etc. at a minimum wage rate.
What do you think?

Stay healthy,
Andy

[Keith_Hixson]

Yep,

Sounds right on!

Keith

[philly]

It would certainly discourage many people from protesting. It sounds good to me.

[catman]

Andy...I agree with 95% of what you said. My only gripe would be the paying of minimum wage to the public service recipients. They should be made to do it for no pay and wearing pink, like that sheriff in AZ made the inmates do.

Trav

[bbeil]

I don't like protesters for many reasons, but they are already covered by the constitution of the United States of America- freedom of assembly and freedom of speech. I am sworn to uphold the constitution and that means even if it pisses me off as a result of some protester that is clueless regarding our country and the defense of it.

[39mto39g]

People in this country have rights, Just because someone don't like what your saying doesn't mean you should have to pay to say it.
What about all the parades, gatherings in the park, school functions, baceball games, etc. etc.
Just because people assemble and voice there opinion doesn't mean there bad people, even if they disagree with you. (retorical you)
We have free elections, Thank God, and if you notice there are alot of people that vote for the other guy.
You ( retorical you again) may not agree with what they say, but you got to let them say it, or this becomes something other than America.


Ron

[Andy]

Guess I didn't make my "law" as clear as it should have been. No doubt everyone has a right to free speech, wouldn't want to curtail that. People also have a right to assemble. The assemblies I had in mind were street demonstrations. If a group gathered in a town common, in a park or some similar place they would not be causing a traffic/public safety hazard.
Recently there are been so called "die-in" where people cover themselves in red (usually red jam) and lay down in the streets. These people sit or lay down with the intent to cause traffic problems, thus causing problems for public safety, the people in these events want to be arrested. That's a far cry from a little league baseball game.
People who want to have a parade which is given approval by city government, such as a July 4th parade somehow seems different from our May Day Gay Rights Parade. July 4th is something we can or should all take pride in, it's our country. Some group wanting to tell the world they are different isn't the same.
The idea is to make any group who is on the streets, impeding traffic, without local government approval post a bond, in the event it turns ugly.
Just a thought.
Stay healthy,
Andy

[39mto39g]

I know your intent is a very good one, but it leaves to much to someones opinion of what is a disterbance if some group is causeing a traffic jam, I could name you a number of times traffic was stopped for some reason.
ie. Fill-the-boot, marithons, walk-athons, celebrations after some event, homeless persons that may wash a windshield of a car. Americans are nothing if not spontanious.
How many people would it take to be in violation of your law, 2, 20, 200. who gets to choose the number? In maugh-tee-graugh, people paint themselfs every color. I don't think ya could define what your sugesting well enough for the public.

Ron

[Jerry D]

Hey Andy you say they use red Jam to cover themselves in for their die in's here in Georgia we have a predator that would take care of them its the lowly Fire Ant and believe me if they tried a die in here in GA with anything sweet like jam covering them they would never want to lie down in the streets again !

[39mto39g]

How about this, Open up the traffic, If they get run over, tuff shit.

Ron